Delas Freres Domaine des Tourettes Hermitage Blanc 2016

Producer Information

Founded 160 years ago in the heart of the northern Côtes du Rhône, Delas Freres today crafts world class wines from both northern and southern Rhône.

Tending the steep sloping vineyards, which total some 30 hectares of vines, the team adapt their growing practices to each plot of vines to let the terroir of the Rhône shine through in the wines.

Crafted by winemaker Jacques Grange (who is originally from Burgundy), the wines from Delas Freres epitomise finesse and elegance. Recent vintages from the vineyards of Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Côte Rôtie, Condrieu, Côtes-du-Rhône and Côtes-du-Ventoux have bee lauded in the press for their intensity of flavour and excellent value.

Vineyards

The vineyard stretches over 3 communes in the Drôme “department”: Tain-l’Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage and Larnage.

The Hermitage Blanc is a blend of three different terroirs: L’Emite, le sabot and La Tourette. The soils are a combination of granite with alluvial quaternary delta deposits and Pliocene marl. This diversity explains the numerous different names given to vineyard plots within the appellation: Bessards, Greffieux, Méal, Roucoule, Beaumes, etc…).

Protected from the north winds, the slopes are south facing and receive excellent sun exposure.

Winemaking

The harvest is carried out by hand in two stages. The juice is pressed “à la champenois”, by separating the free-run wine and the press wine. After a light racking, the must is put into barrel (new barrels, or used previously for one or two vintages) in order for the alcoholic fermentation to take place. With the aim of perserving the wine’s freshness on the finish, malolactic fermentation is sometimes carried out only partially.

The wine is fermented in barrel for 9 to 12 months, on the lees, with regular lees stirring. Two months before bottling the wine is blended, after which it is stelled and racked into a tank so that the different elements have time to become balanced and harmonious before going into bottle.

Vintage Information

In terms of the flowering, it took place two to three weeks later than in 2015, which ultimately corresponds to a typical year. The first stage of flowering took place in sunny conditions, whereas the second stage unfortunately took place in heavy rain. By the end of summer the vineyards had returned to a perfectly healthy state and ripening went well, particularly after a beneficial rainy spell in early September.

The first white grapes were harvested on 14 September. On the same day two plots of Crozes Hermitage as well as rare white Sainte-Epine cuvée in Saint-Joseph were picked. Domaine des Tourettes white was only harvested on 23 September, and shows great balance with an alcoholic potential of 13.2 degrees and a pH of 3.35.

The white harvest came to an end on 29 September with the picking of the last white grapes from the east-facing vineyards in Clos boucher and two parcels of Saint-Joseph planted on the most northerly slopes of the Saint-Joseph Appellation.

Tasting Note

Pale yellow, with green tints. The hue is bright with good density. On the nose the Hermitage blanc “Domaine des Tourettes” shows floral notes, underpinned by candied citrus fruit fragrances. These are complemented by fine oaky notes, such as vanilla and toasted brioche. Its powerful character shows on the palate. Concentrated and opulent, with a perfectly balanced structure, this Hermitage has beautiful freshness and a good mineral character, giving it great aromatic lenght.